Carton erecting apparatus

ABSTRACT

Carton erecting apparatus comprises a forming die and a reciprocable punch arranged to press a carton blank into the die and hollow members connectable with a source of heated air are supported adjacent to the mouth of the die and are arranged, before a blank resting thereon is pressed into the die, to direct heated air on to those areas of the opposite sides of the blank which are to be sealed one to the other when the blank is pressed into the die by the punch.

United States Patent Re.25.302 12/1962 Allen John Richard Oakley Swindon, England Oct. 10, 1968 July 20, I971 The Metal Box Company, Limited London, England Oct. 19, 1967 Great Britain lnventor Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee Priority CARTON ERECTING APPARATUS 3 Claims, 13 Drawing Figs.

1.1.5. Cl 93/51, 93/36, 93/36.3, 93/59, 93/84 Int. Cl B3lb l/46, B31b l/64, B31b 3/74 Field of Search 93/36 MM, 36.3, 39.1 P,51, 51.1, 59 MT, 84, 94, 55.1

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,120,902 6/1938 Moore 93/51 (M) 2,678,679 5/1954 Bergstein.... 93/84 (FF) 2,851,836 9/1958 Fromwiller. 93/51 (X) 3,079,144 2/1963 Frei 93/84 (FF) 3,085,479 4/1963 Hoyrup 93/51 (M) 3,110,232 11/1963 Frei 93/49(.1) 3,168,018 2/1965 Dunn 93/51 3,394,635 7/1968 Hoyrup 93/51 3,421,416 1/1969 Benzon-Peterson 93/51.1 3,456,564 7/1969 McCandless 93/55.1 3,511,139 5/1970 Edkuist 93/360 (MM) Primary Examiner-Wayne A. Morse, Jr. Attorney-1mirie and Smiley ABSTRACT: Carton erecting apparatus comprises a forming die and a reciprocable punch arranged to press a carton blank into the die and hollow members co nnectable with a source of heated air are supported adjacent to the mouth of the die and are arranged, before a blank resting thereon is pressed into the die, to direct heated air on to those areas of the opposite sides of the blank which are to be sealed one to the other when the blank is pressed into the die by the punch.

PATENTED JUL 20 Ian sum 1 OF 5 I .nvenlor 0A KL E 7 JOHN I? Allorm'y PATENTED JUL20 :97: 3 593 623 SHEET 2 UF 5 I. nnnnn or JOHN R OAKLEY B IwQu Attorney PATENTEI] JUL20 I97! 3 593 623 SHEET 3 UP 5 I .nvenlor JoH/vP. UAKLEY B rm Mb A Home y PATENTEnJuLzolsn 3593828 SHEET u [1F 5 I nvenlor JOHN R OAHLE B M A Home y PATENTED JUL20 I971 sum 5 [1F 5 lnuenlor Jomv A 04 m [Y Byxw Attorney CARTON EIIF'CTING APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to carton erecting apparatus of the kind which comprises a forming die and a reciprocable punch operable to press into the die a blank positioned and resting thereon.

2. Description of the Prior Art Some forms of carton are made of cardboard or similar material coated with a hot-melt adhesive or a thermoplastic heat-scalable material, such as polyethylene or a polyethylene/wax mixture. In some instances the blank for a carton has the coating only on the side thereof which is to form the interior of the carton and in other instances the blank is coated on both sides. It is a main object of the invention to provide a carton erecting apparatus of the kind above-mentioned which can be used for erecting cartons either from blanks coated on one side only or from blanks which are coated on both sides and which will effect preheating of both sides of a carton blank in those area which are to be sealed one to the other when the blank is pressed into the die by the punch.

SUMMARY According to the invention there is provided carton erecting apparatus comprising a forming die and a reciprocable punch operable to press into the die a blank positioned and resting thereon, wherein hollow members connectable with a source of heated air are supported adjacent to the mouth of the die to permit location of a blank relative to the die and are arranged while a blank is stationary over the die preparatory to move ment thereof into the die by the punch simultaneously to direct heated air on to those areas of the opposite sides of the blank which are to be sealed one to another when the blank is pressed into the die by the punch. The hollow members arranged to direct heated air on to the underside of the blank are supported to underlie the blank and are provided with perforations by which jets of heated air are directed on to the desired areas of the underside of the blank.

The hollow members arranged to direct heated air onto the upper side of the blank are spaced from the blank and may be provided with slits which extend lengthwise of the hollow members and are arranged to direct jets of heated air on to the desired areas of the upperside of the blank. Each slit may be fonned in a sleeve the position of which is adjustable lengthwise and peripherally of the hollow member and the slit be of lesser width and length than that of a slot formed in and extending lengthwise of the hollow member and through which heated air passes to the slit. The sleeve may be a longitudinally split sleeve.

The die may include folder elements operable to bellows fold corner portions of the erected blank and resiliently loaded freely rotatable pressure rollers operable to press the bellows folded corner portions against the sides of the punch. The pressure rollers may be carried by plates mounted on rubber washers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a plan of a carton blank coated only on one side thereof, the side shown being the coated side, and illustrates those elongate areas of this side of the blank to which heated air is applied prior to the blank being pressed into a die,

FIG. 2 is a plan of the opposite, that is the uncoated, side of the blank of FIG. I, and shows those elongate areas of this side of the blank to which heated air is applied prior to the blank being pressed into a die,

FIGS. 3 and 4 are views similar to those of FIGS. I and 2 but illustrate a blank coated on both sides thereof,

FIG. 5 is a pictorial view of a die and associated devices forming part of apparatus according to the invention,

FIG. 6 is a section illustrating a part of the die,

FIG. 7 is an elevation of a part of an hollow member embodied in the apparatus of FIG. 5,

FIG. h is a view of FIG. 7 showing some of the parts in different positions thereof,

FIG. 9 is a section through the elongate hollow member of FIG. 7,

FIG. lb is a section similar to that of FIG. 9 showing some of the parts in different position thereof,

FIG. II is a pictorial view illustrating the apparatus just prior to the erection of a carton blank in the die,

FIG. I2 illustrates a punch pressing a blank into the die, and

FIG. I3 illustrates a carton which has been pressed through the die and from which the punch has been removed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIGS. I and 2, the blank is to be simultaneously heated on the two sides thereof at those elongate areas I and 2 which are at right angles one to the other and which are closely adjacent to edge potions of the blank and are to be sealed one to the other when the blank is pressed into the die, described below, by a punch. Similarly, the blank of FIGS. 3 and 4 is to be simultaneously heated at the areas 3 and 4.

The apparatus, FIGS. 5 to I3, for erecting the blanks comprises a forming die, indicated generally by the reference 5, and a reciprocable punch 6, FIGS. II and I2, operable to press into the die 5 a blank positioned and resting on the die 5 as indicated at B, FIG. II. The die 5 comprises four corner posts 7 and four radiused carton formers 8 which form a hollow boxlike structure open at the top and the bottom thereof. The posts 7 are shaped as at 9, FIG. 5, to initiate the folding of the blank corner portions III, II, FIGS. I to 4, to form them into what is known as a bellows-type corner when the blank B is pressed through die by the punch b.

The preheating of the areas I and 2,. or 3 and 4, of a blank positioned and resting on the top of the die 5 is effected by heated air which issues from hollow members 12 supported adjacent to the mouth of the die 5 to permit location of a blank relative to the die. The hollow members I2, which may be tubes of circular, square, triangular, or other cross section, are with perforations with hollow blocks 13, which together with the die are mounted on the machine frame, not shown, and the blocks I3 are in turn connected by tubes I4 with heat exchangers IS. The heat exchangers may be of any suitable kind but in a preferred form thereof consist of a spiral electrical element, not shown, housed in a stainless steel tube with a cold air inlet at one end and a hot air outlet at the opposite end. The tubes I4 are connected to the hot air outlets. Each hollow member I2 has an elongate extension In of any desired cross section extending at right angles thereto, the connection between a member I2 and an extension 16 being effected by a tube I7, FIGS. 7 and b. The extensions 16 are provided with perforations Id, FIGS. I2 and I3, by which jets of heated air are directed on to the elongate areas 2,. or 4, of the underside of the blank B. The elongate hollow members 12 are spaced from the blank B and are provided with slits 19 which extend lengthwise of the hollow members and are arranged to direct jets of heated air on the elongate areas I, or 3, of the uppermost side of the blank 18. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the slits I9 are each formed in a sleeve 20 the position of which is adjustable lengthwise and peripherally of the elongate hollow member I2 and the slit I9 is of lesser width and length, see FIGS. 7 and 8, than that of a slot 21 formed in and extending lengthwise of the elongate hollow member and through which heated air passes to the slit I9. Conveniently, as illustrated in FIGS. 9 and III, the sleeve 20 is a split sleeve. As can be seen from FIGS. 9 and I'll, by adjusting the position of the slit I9 peripherally of the elongate hollow member I2 the width W of the area I, or 3, can be adjusted. Further, by adjusting the position of the sleeve 20 lengthwise of the elongate hollow member I2 the length L of the elongate area I, or II, can be adjusted, as illustrated in FIGS. '7 and 8.

It will be understood that the blank B is positioned on the top of the die 5 automatically in timed relation with the movements of the punch 6 and that before the punch 6 descends the hot air is applied to the blank for an interval of time sufficient to ensure that the thermoplastic coated areas are softened and rendered tacky. When the punch 6 descends it comes into full contact with the panel 22 of the blank, which panel is to form the bottom of the erected carton, and presses the blank through the die 5. The sides of the blank ride over the radiused portions of the formers 8 and the portions 9 of the posts 7 form the bellows-type corners. Recesses 23 in the side faces of the punch 6 accommodate the three thicknesses of carton material which go to make the bellows-type corners and as the punch moves the blank through the die freely rotatable pressure rollers 24 of small diameter cooperate with the punch to effect a permanent joint of the preheated areas.

When the blank is coated on only one side thereof, FIGS. 1 and 2, the actual seal of the bellows-type comers is effected between only two thicknesses of blank material and to ensure that effective sealing pressure is obtained irrespective of whether the blank is of the kind shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 or is of the kind shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the rollers 24 are provided with a spring-loading effect. To this end each set of rollers 24 is carried by a plate 25, H6. 6, mounted on rubber washers 26. By this means each roller 24 after leaving a thicker section immediately comes into contact with a thinner section thus ensuring instant sealing pressure.

There is a tendency for the heat softened thermoplastic material to be squeezed out during the seal forming operation and to accumulate on the rollers 24 and to overcome such accumulation the rollers 24 are a close fit in the plate 25 so that the plate acts as a scraper to cleanse the rollers as they rotate.

When the erected carton has been moved through the die 5 the canon material has a natural tendency to bow outwards from the punch 6 and as the punch is moved upwards through the die the carton engages the underside of the die and is stripped thereby from the punch 6 to drop into a receiver or on to a conveyor, not shown.

In the case of a blank as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the elongate areas 2 are heated but, because they are not coated, they do not become tacky. The two adjacent heated elongate areas 1 at each corner are, however, engaged with each other and, being sealed to each other, maintain the blank in the erected form thereof. The elongate areas 2 are heated in order that a cold surface does not come into contact with a warm tacky surface as this would reduce the efficiency of the seal.

In the case ofa blank as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 the elongate areas 3 and 4 are all rendered tacky and so form watertight seals.

1 claim:

I. Carton erecting apparatus comprising a forming die including four comer posts and radiused carton formers located between the comer posts with the upper surfaces of the corner posts and the carton formers located in a common plane, a reciprocable punch operable to press into the die a blank lying in a flat condition on the top surfaces of the comer posts and carton formers, first elongate hollow members supported relative one to each of the corner posts to underlie edge portions of the underside of blank portions resting on the corner posts; and second elongate hollow members supported one adjacent each corner post to be at right angles to the first hollow member associated with the post and disposed above the plane of the upper surfaces of blank portions resting on the corner posts, said first and second elongate hollow members being connectable with a source of heated air and arranged simul-. taneaously to direct heated air on to elongate areas closely ad-j jacent to edge portions of blank portions resting on the corner; posts and which are to be sealed one to another when the blank is pressed into the die by the punch, said first elongate hollow members each being provided with perforations by which jets of heated air are directed on to said elongate areas on the underside of the blank and said second elongate hollow members each including a slot which extends lengthwise thereof and a sleeve the position of which is adjustable lengthwise and peripherally of the second elongate hollow. member and which includes a slit which extends lengthwise. of

the sleeve and is of lesser width and length than that of said slot and through which a jet of heated air is directed on to an elongate area on the upperside of the blank.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve is alongitudinally split sleeve.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the hollow members for directing heated air on to the underside of a blank are unitary with the hollow members for directing heated air on to the upperside of the blank and consist of extensions extending at right angles to the members for directing heated air on to the upperside of the blank. 

1. Carton erecting apparatus comprising a forming die including four corner posts and radiused carton formers located between the corner posts with the upper surfaces of the corner posts and the carton formers located in a common plane, a reciprocable punch operable to press into the die a blank lying in a flat condition on the top surfaces of the corner posts and carton formers, first elongate hollow members supported relative one to each of the corner posts to underlie edge portions of the underside of blank portions resting on the corner posts, and second elongate hollow members supported one adjacent each corner post to be at right angles to the first hollow member associated with the post and disposed above the plane of the upper surfaces of blank portions resting on the corner posts, said first and second elongate hollow members being connectable with a source of heated air and arranged simultaneaously to direct heated air on to elongate areas closely adjacent to edge portions of blank portions resting on the corner posts and which are to be sealed one to another when the blank is pressed into the die by the punch, said first elongate hollow members each being provided with perforations by which jets of heated air are directed on to said elongate areas on the underside of the blank and said second elongate hollow members each including a slot which extends lengthwise thereof and a sleeve the position of which is adjustable lengthwise and peripherally of the second elongate hollow member and which includes a slit which extends lengthwise of the sleeve and is of lesser width and length than that of said slot and through which a jet of heated air is directed on to an elongate area on the upperside of the blank.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve is a longitudinally split sleeve.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the hollow members for directing heated air on to the underside of a blank are unitary with the hollow members for directing heated air on to the upperside of the blank and consist of extensions extending at right angles to the members for directing heated air on to the upperside of the blank. 